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    Optometrists are made, not born

    May 18th, 2010

    This video is EXACTLY the way I remember optometry school in Chicago.


    Check to watch on Youtube

    See Well!

    -Dr. Nate

    Bright Eyes Family Vision Care

    Connect: Facebook Twitter Foursquare LocalShops1.com


    Bright Eyes News listed on Technorati (again)

    January 21st, 2010

    Bright Eyes News is BACK on Technorati! A long time ago it, was listed, then it was dropped. Now there are so many blogs that the confirmation/evaluation period takes weeks to complete. Now we are back as one of the few eye doctors with blog, we have an authority of 116!

    Here is the full link:

    http://technorati.com/blogs/brighteyesnews.com

    So next time you are on Technorati, drop us a comment or make us your favorite!

    Nathan Bonilla-Warford, OD, FAAO
    Bright Eyes Family Vision Care
    10108 Montague St
    Westchase, Tampa, FL
    P 813-792-0637 F813-792-0657
    Connect with Us: Facebook Twitter Foursquare Yelp


    Top 10 New Years Resolutions to Save Money on Eyecare (Without Sacrificing Quality)

    January 2nd, 2010

    2010Welcome to 2010, everyone!  I hope you are enjoying the start of a brand-new decade.

    Readers of this blog know that it is a Bright Eyes News tradition to create an eye related Top Ten List of New Years Resolutions. For 2008, wrote about resolutions for eye health. For 2009, I wrote about resolutions for children’s vision.

    Thinking back to 2009, I’ve talked to a number of patients who had lost – or were about to lose – their jobs.  It was an economically challenging year for many.  So I thought this year I would take this issue head-on and make a list for people who want to save money on eyecare. But, as a doctor, it wouldn’t be appropriate to just say, “Skip your exams, squint instead of updating your glasses, and wear your contacts until your eyes fall out.” First, it isn’t sound advice. Second, many of these actually cost more money in the long run.

    So here is a list of New Years Resolutions to Save Money on Eyecare (Without Sacrificing Quality). I hope that you find it helpful.

    1) Maintain a regular schedule for eye exams.

    Many people feel that they are saving money by skipping their recommended eye exams.  Did you know that eye exams are primarily about eye health, not just clarity of sight?  There are some blinding conditions with no symptoms that can only be detected with a thorough eye exam. If caught early, they can often be treated early with much simpler treatments. This can save hundreds or thousands of dollars of complicated treatment, including ocular surgery. This doesn’t even factor in the lost income and quality of life that can come from the loss of vision.

    2) Get the exam that you pay for.

    This may seem very obvious, but you should be sure that you are getting a complete and thorough eye exam. After all, if you are paying for something, you should get it.  Sometimes people are reluctant to have their pupils dilated during an exam, but if they don’t, the doctor cannot look for signs of disease in the back of the eye. Find out if there is a charge to come back and finish the exam at a later date. If you bring your child to eye doctor because you have concerns that vision may be affecting school performance, ask beforehand what type of tests are included.  Not all vision plans will cover this specialized testing, so you should find out how much it costs.

    3) Utilize InfantSEE.

    As with all health issues, prevention is more cost effective than treatment. This is particularly true for infants. An eye early eye exam can detect potential problems such as extreme nearsightedness and farsightedness as well as strabismus and amblyopia. To assist in this, the American Optometric Association created the public health initiative called InfantSEE. Optometrists who participate in the program will provide one visual and eye health exam to infants between six and twelve months old at no charge.

    4) Understand your Vision Plan, Medical Insurance, Flex and HSAs.

    Some medical plans have coverage for eye exams. Some plans specifically cover medical problems such as eye infections and glaucoma. Other plans are specifically for vision and will have coverage for a vision exam, glasses, or contacts, but not medical visits. If you or your employer pays for these benefits, use them wisely. Find out what the annual benefits are. Ask the doctor’s staff to help you maximize your benefits. For example, you are getting both glasses and contact lenses and your plan only covers one of these, you may save more money applying the benefits to the glasses.  Also know that you cannot ask that the vision plan be billed on a different date than you actually received the service.  However, you CAN use your Flex and HSA accounts for eyecare and optical purchases.

    5) Select your eyewear carefully.

    When you are picking out eyewear, try on the styles and brands that you like. But keep in mind the purpose of each pair of glasses you buy. You might love the Tiffany & Co. frames with crystals, but if you work or play hard, it might make more sense to get some less expensive frames that are built to be durable. Costa Del Mar sunglasses are durable, but if you are prone to losing them(or dropping them in the gulf!) spend a extra few dollars on a glasses strap. And when shopping  around, be sure you compare apples to apples. A discount store or online retailer may be cheaper,  but consider material quality and customer service when making your choice.  Will your optical service remake lenses in the case of an error?  What happens if the coating flakes off within a few months?

    6) Get the right lens materials and coatings.

    Find out what the doctor or optician recommends for lens options, but don’t just assume that more expensive is better. Some lens options are worth a little extra: Crizal Alize or VisoXC will improve the clarity of your lenses, reduce glare, and resist scratches.  Some fabulously high-tech lens materials are essential for someone with a very high prescription but may be a waste of money if you have a low prescription. We always recommend UV protection for all general purpose glasses, but if you only use glasses for reading indoors, then it may not be needed. I encourage you to get glasses that meet your needs, but that doesn’t mean that every pair has to have all the bells and whistles. If the optical staff do not explain your options to your satisfaction – ask. They may be able to help you save money when they understand how the glasses are to be used.

    7) Try multipurpose lenses.

    Do you own just one pair of shoes? Not likely, because most people have different shoes for different purposes. Your eyes also have different needs and no one single pair of glasses will meet all those needs.  But you don’t need to own a baker’s dozen pairs of glasses either. If you have a different prescription for reading and distance (like most people over 45), save money with just one pair of bifocals or progressives. In Florida, it is best to have a dedicated pair of prescription sunglasses.  But eyewear with clip-on sunglasses or Transitions (that darken in the sun) are a cost-effective and protect your eyes from UV and bright sun.

    8) Make use of your warranties.

    If you are spending hard-earned money on glasses, you expect them to work well for you. Always inquire about what warranty is included in your purchase. At Bright Eyes, all of our eyewear frames come with a 2 year, unconditional breakage warranty. If you get premium scratch coating, it also includes 2 year scratch warranty. See if your optical offers similar coverage and if they do, make use of it.

    9) Learn about your contacts.

    Talking to your optometrist about your contact lens options.  Monthly lenses may be a cost-saving option for full-time wearers;  daily lenses are a good deal for occasional contact wearers, especially when you factor in the solution costs.  RGP (hard) contacts frequently outperform their soft counterparts and can be up to half as expensive.

    10) Consider alternative financing options.

    Many offices, including ours, accept Care Credit, a health care credit card with options for 6-months interest-free financing.  This is helpful for more expensive treatments not covered by insurances, such as Corneal Reshaping (orthokeratology), an method of providing glasses- free vision, or vision therapy, which allows people to overcome visual challenges to live life up to their potential.  Even eyeglasses and eye exams qualify for Care Credit purchases. Ask about Care Credit or similar programs at your doctor’s office.

    I hope that this has been helpful in ensuring that you get best eyecare possible! Happy New Year!

    Dr. Bonilla-Warford
    Bright Eyes Family Vision Care
    Westchase, Tampa, FL
    Connect with Us: Facebook Twitter Foursquare


    Myopia in the News: A Huge Increase in the US and What Can Be Done

    December 17th, 2009

    My colleagues and I think and talk about myopia (nearsightedness) every day. We talk about the drawbacks (and rewards) of being myopic. We talk about the causes and treatment options for myopia, both short and long term.

    But I have never seen a day like today, with myopia in all the papers and on every major TV news program. Given how quickly news travels today, the total number of people thinking and re-thinking about their eyes and vision is probably higher today than it has ever been!

    Yesterday morning, I received an email about a newly released study, “Increased Prevalence of Myopia in the United States Between 1971-1972 and 1999-2004.” While I take it as common knowledge that nearsightedness is increasing in much of the world, including the United States, even I was stunned to see this headline about the study: “Myopia Prevalence Rose 66% over 30-Year Period” There is no way around it, a 66% increase is a lot!

    So I posted the link on Twitter and Facebook, but I didn’t really have the time to dedicate to the study until today. And then the really big news hit. There are stories on myopia on  NPR, Discoverthe LA Times, and video segments on Good Morning America and local affiliates such as these and these.

    So since this is such a hot topic today, I’ll share what I tell patients almost every day at the office.  But first let me say this:  while vision science has advanced tremendously, and we have a better understanding than ever, there still is a lot that we do not know about the details of nearsightedness and its development. And, although this may shock you to read, there are some less-than-ethical people who will claim to have all the answers and will say with a straight face that they have THE ONLY WAY to either prevent or eliminate nearsightedness or glasses. The truth is that we don’t know exactly how this works and we can never make promises because what may work for 1000 people may not work for you.

    But we can say some things about myopia more generally. There is a genetic component for sure, but just because you and your spouse are nearsighted is not a guarantee that your children will be . In fact, there may be more commonly a genetic susceptibility than an actual myopia “gene.” And clearly there are other factors involved because while the population is changing (due to aging and immigration) our US genes haven’t changed that much in 30 years, but our eyes have!

    So, as many of the links above point out, our lifestyle can have an impact on vision. Our eyes are inherently best-suited for looking off into the distance. This is easy and natural. Yet today we spend an increasing amount of time and effort focusing within arms-length and in some cases just a few inches. And while we have always had (and will continue to have, I hope) kids and adults with their noses buried in bound books, the truth is that intensely playing tiny video games or texting does require more visual effort. And I can attest from seeing patients at Bright Eyes that children are engaged in these activities at younger and younger ages.

    So – if a patient has increasing nearsightedness, or seems predisposed to be nearsighted what are the options? Here  are the refractive options from least to most aggressive.

    • Do nothing. Some people prefer to not take any action because they do not have need to see better at a distance and they prefer the vision up close. This is totally reasonable, as long as it is an educated choice and not just by default or neglect. However, this is not itself a treatment for myopia and in fact may promote myopia in the long run.
    • Traditional glasses or contacts. This will help a patient see clearly in the distance which is necessary for things like driving or going to school which are important. But it will not address any underlying problems leading to increasing myopia.
    • Bifocal Glasses. This method was more popular in prior decades to slow down myopia progression. The scientific studies have not shown it to be as helpful generally, but may be for a  subset of people with specific visual problems.
    • Multifocal soft contact. There is small but growing evidence that multifical contacts, like Proclear EP, can provide clear distance vision and limit the progression of nearsightedness.
    • Orthokeratology (Corneal Reshaping). There is several scientific studies that have shown that this can provide safe, clear daytime vision, and slow or stop progression of myopia. You can read more about this here. And I have written more about this here.
    • Atropine drops. This method of myopia control involved the use of prescription eye drops to keep the eyes dilated. This has been used for years and is more popular in Asia, but has not caught on in the US, due to side effects.

    But regardless of which method is employed above, it is wise to take frequent, brief breaks from near work. Looking up and away every 15 minutes or so is a good idea, because there is some evidence that it is not the total time during near work, but the length of the individual periods of work that make a bigger difference. Getting outside more is a good idea, but it is not clear if it is the distance vision, sunlight, or some other benefit. Of course, this is true not just for your eyes, but for your body and mind, too!

    As vision professionals, we clearly have much work to do in understanding more about why and how myopia occurs. But it is exciting to know that there are treatment options that can reduce the likelihood of progression.

    If you have concerns about your vision or if your children have not been thoroughly evaluated, call us at 813-792-0637 to schedule an appointment. After reviewing the examination findings, we can discuss concerns and treatment options that may be right for you.

    Be well!

    Dr. Bonilla-Warford
    Bright Eyes Family Vision Care
    Westchase, Tampa, FL
    Connect with Us: Facebook Twitter Foursquare

    (Edited to fix a few typos and add some info left out).


    Question for Tampa Kids: What Books do You Love?

    July 8th, 2009

    As far as I am concerned, the coolest thing a kid can be spotted with is a book. It doesn’t really matter if it is Harry Potter or my daughter’s current favorite, “Llama Llama Red Pajama.”

    Now that we have the new kid’s area, we need to fill our kid’s library! What books are popular for kids 12 and under right now? If  two of your children saw a stack of books, which one would they fight over?

    Please submit a comment, tweet @brightetestampa, or  email doc@brighteyestampa.com with any suggestions, so we can have the best stocked kids library in Westchase!

    Thanks in advance!

    Be Well.

    Dr. Bonilla-Warford
    Bright Eyes Family Vision Care
    Westchase, Tampa, FL
    Connect with Us: Facebook Twitter Foursquare


    Ortho-K: Possible Method of Slowing the Progression of Myopia in Children (SMART Trial)

    July 8th, 2009

    Ahah! I was scooped on this story by one of my favorite bloggers, Ann Z. from LittleFourEyes. I was going to write a post about this exciting news today, but since she already has. Check it out here.

    I Will leave you with a quote from yesterday’s press release:

    According to Dr. S. Barry Eiden the trial will also investigate why these special lenses may be effective in slowing myopia.

    “Current thinking suggests that these CRT lenses flatten the cornea but other evidence suggests that these lenses may influence the growth in eyeball length (termed axial length). A major contributor to progressive nearsightedness is axial length elongation. Corneal reshaping may actually result in decreased axial length growth. The exact mechanism by which this happens is still being investigated” said Dr. Eiden.

    “The results of the SMART Study so far are very exciting,” said Dr. Davis. “The outcomes of this study may revolutionize how we manage young nearsighted patients from this point forward”.

    You can go to the SMART study facebook page to find more information.You can also watch a news report on the study here.

    It should also be noted that the SMART study is building on additional recent studies that have also found that Orthokeratology has been successful in slowly the progression of myopia.

    To find orthokeratology doctors in Tampa and elsewhere: go to the Orthokeratology Academy of America. If you are curious, feel free to call or come in for our no-cost consultation to determine if you are candidate.

    Be Well.

    Dr. Bonilla-Warford
    Bright Eyes Family Vision Care
    Westchase, Tampa, FL
    Connect with Us:  YelpFacebookTwitter


    Come to the Westchase Tweet Up!

    July 1st, 2009

    Have you ever wanted to attend a Tweetup? Maybe you’ve read about it, but weren’t sure what it was all about. Well here is you chance. A Tweetup, is basically just a chance for people who use Twitter to get a chance to mix and mingle in person.

    The Westchase Tweetup will be July 18, 2009. We’ll have wine-tasting, Italian food, and cool people.  If you want to check out the details and RSVP, the link is here.

    So I hope to you some of you there!!

    Be Well and have fun!

    Dr. Bonilla-Warford
    Bright Eyes Family Vision Care
    Westchase, Tampa, FL
    Connect with Us:  YelpFacebookTwitter


    Interview with Susan Barry, author of "Fixing My Gaze"

    June 23rd, 2009

    FMGAs readers of this blog and those that follow us on Twitter know, there is an exciting book was recently been published about a woman who achieved great success with vision therapy at age 48. It is called “Fixing My Gaze” by Susan Barry, Ph.D. It has been very popular and at one point was the 367th most sold book on Amazon.com

    When the book was released, I pre-ordered copies for my office. I read it and had the staff read it. I loved the way Dr. Barry writes and her accessibility. In fact, I liked it so much that I recently held an online contest to give a copy away.

    Well, the contest caught the attention  of  “Stereo Sue”, as she is nicknamed, and she graciously agreed to an online interview.

    Dr. B: Dr. Barry, thank you so much for being participating in this interview. I know that vision therapy programs can vary tremendously from patient to patient. How long was your office therapy with Dr. Ruggiero?

    Sue: I had about 12 months of office therapy spread over one and one-half years.

    How long before you saw definitive progress?

    I began to see progress within the first month. My gaze appeared more stable and I began to notice pockets of space between objects.

    Regardless of whether a patient is 5, 45, or 95 years old, vision therapy can be a lot of work. Was it hard to stay motivated?

    Yes and no. The changes in my vision encouraged me to continue. I also saw myself as my own experiment and liked thinking about how I was changing my vision and what changes were occurring in my brain. The most important thing I did to keep motivated was to keep a journal of how far I could go with each procedure. This taught me that I was making progress even during the weeks when I felt that nothing was happening. My vision therapists were extremely encouraging and fun to work with. My optometrist, Dr. Theresa Ruggiero, was always so positive that she made me feel like I was 10 feet tall.

    In “Fixing My Gaze” you mention several vision therapy activities such as Marsden Ball, Brock String and  Vectograms. Is there one activity that was your favorite?

    My favorite activity was the Brock string because it gave me the feedback to learn how to point my two eyes simultaneously at the same place in space. I could feel my eyes moving in concert and this was very exciting. The first time I saw stereo depth in the Polaroid vectograms – it was the clown vectogram – was also very special.

    Now that you’ve had stereopsis for several years, do you find yourself at times taking it for granted as most people do?

    No. My vision continues to improve and I have taken to walking everywhere just so I can feel myself moving through this three dimensional world. I am still surprised by what I can see. One advantage, I suppose, of not having stereovision for half a century is that I never take my vision for granted. I feel like I have been given a great gift.

    You did such a marvelous job making the book accessible to many people from laypeople to doctors and scientists. Did you find that difficult to do, or did it come naturally?

    I am a college biology professor and enjoy teaching, especially finding straightforward ways to explain complicated things. I learned this from my mother who was also a teacher. I also learned a great deal about vision from the many optometrists I spoke with.

    Several people have commented on the readability of the book. What steps did you take to achieve this?

    I made the decision about the font. I told the publisher that I wanted the book printed in Garamond font at the largest acceptable font size and spacing between letters, words, and lines. I was concerned that the people who might find the book interesting and beneficial are also the ones with difficulties tracking the letters on the page. The Harry
    Potter books (which I loved) are printed in Garamond font, and one of the people I mention in my book had told me that he found Harry Potter easy to read because of the font and spacing. Also, my father, now 86, was a calligrapher and graphic designer and so I asked his advice about the fonts as well. He told me that the font should have some serifs (the little curley cues around the letters) as Sans Serif can be hard to read. However, the font should not be too complicated. We got out his old font books and looked over many different fonts and agreed that Garamond would work. I was very happy that the publisher honored my wishes here.

    Thank you for writing “Fixing My Gaze.” My colleagues and I are very happy about it. Have you been surprised at its reception?

    I never expected my book to be embraced so enthusiastically by so many people from people with binocular vision problems to scientists to optometrists.

    Thank you for your time. Is there anything else you’d like add before we go?

    I hope my book will teach people that the brain is capable of rewiring at any age, will broadcast the importance and effectiveness of optometric vision therapy, and will help many children as they progress through school.

    I encourage all my readers to read “Fixing My Gaze.” You can get it at any bookstore or on Amazon.com. Alternatively, we have office copies that we are lending to patients. If you’d like to borrow a copy, just stop by Bright Eyes and ask for one.

    Happy Reading,

    Dr. Bonilla-Warford
    Bright Eyes Family Vision Care
    Westchase, Tampa, FL
    Connect with Us: Facebook Twitter Foursquare

    Update: Here are some links for more information:

    Audio Podcast Interview with Susan Barry
    http://www.perseuspodcasts.com/main/podcasts/book.php?
    isbn=9780465009138

    Print Q&A with Sue from the New Scientist, June 6, 2009
    http://www.newscientist.com/article/mg20227112.900-how-i-learned-to-
    see-in-3d.html

    Sue’s Psychology Today Blog, Eyes on the Brain
    http://blogs.psychologytoday.com/blog/eyes-the-brain

    Los Angeles Times OpEd
    http://www.latimes.com/news/opinion/commentary/la-oe-barry22-
    2009jun22,0,350826.story


    Study: Mediterranean Diet May Boost Eye Health

    May 11th, 2009

    I have been telling my patients for quite some time that omega-3 fatty acids are good for the eyes. These essential fatty acids can help people with dry eye disease.

    A recent study also shows that it can reduce the risk of sight-stealing macular degeneration, too:

    Two studies released this week in the Archives of Ophthalmology show adults who followed a Mediterranean-style diet high in omega-3 fatty acids found in fish, nuts, and olive oil and low in the trans fats found in baked and processed foods have a much lower risk of developing the sight-robbing disease.

    This is one more reason to pay attention to your diet and talking to your doctors about omega-3 supplements if you think you don’t get enough.

    Eat well!

    Dr. Bonilla-Warford
    Bright Eyes Family Vision Care
    Westchase, Tampa, FL
    Connect with Us:  YelpFacebookTwitter


    Interview with VT Blogger Heather Fitzpatrick

    April 30th, 2009

    Not too long ago, I posted a link to a new blog that I had found called
    ONE EYED GIRL – My Life With Strabismus. It is written by Heather Fitzpatrick who has had strabismus her entire life. She is now writing about her experiences and progress with vision therapy.

    Recently, I had a chance to ask Heather some questions about her vision therapy:

    Dr. B: You’ve written that you first found out about vision therapy from reading about Stereo Sue’s story. Before finding out about Stereo Sue, how much did you want to address your vision problem?

    Heather: I never knew that my vision was different, as I never knew any other way of seeing, so changing my vision never crossed my mind.  It was the way my eyes looked that I wanted to change. The doctors told my parents that I would have no “depth perception”.   I never knew what that was anyway, so I never guessed that I needed to change my vision or that I even could.

    Dr. B: Do you ever recall vision therapy being brought up as an alternative or an adjunct to your eye surgeries as a child?

    Heather: Never discussed. It was always, ‘Heather is such a severe case, and surgery is the only option…’ I also saw a prominent optometrist/vision specialist in New York City after reading Oliver Sacks’ article, Stereo Sue, and after many tests he said that Vision Therapy would not do anything for me. It wasn’t until I met Dr. Carl Gruning, (who was referred to me by Dr. Sue Barry), at Eye Care Associates in Fairfield, CT, that I had any idea that this might be an option for me.  He agreed that I was a severe case of vertical strabismus, and that corrective surgery would probably be the action to take, but he also thought that some vision therapy might help. Well, he was right! After some months of work, things began to look different. One day the therapist put me in these one-inch thick prism glasses and suddenly the room POPPED! The walls loomed way up, the people in the room were on all these different planes of space, and objects on a table were all in their own areas. It was absolutely mind blowing! I wanted to touch everything. I felt like I had landed on a different planet and there was all this space between things.

    I believe I was 80-90 PD and now I am 30-40 PD.  So over time I have corrected my vertical misalignment significantly. Eventually, I got a pair of prism glasses that I could wear on walks without scaring the neighbors.  They have decal prisms, and while the acuity is pretty low (there are about 20 lines going across each of the lenses), I can still see a lot of depth with them.

    Dr. B: You mentioned in your blog that you compensated for your eye turn by always taking photos with a head turn. What other ways did you compensate?

    Heather: I eventually learned that things seemed closer than they really were, so I would compensate by telling myself I probably had more room than I thought I had.  I competed in triathlons.  During cycling workouts, I am always the one too far away from the cyclist ahead of me in the pace line. Other cyclists say, “Close the gap Heather!”  But not seeing the space, the person’s wheel in front of me looked much closer than it really was. In swimming workouts, I had to learn that when doing a flip turn at the end of the pool, to look at the black line at the bottom of the pool rather than trying to judge where the wall was.

    When I drive a car, I gauge where I am when stopping at a light by looking at the white line on the road ahead, otherwise I end up underneath the stoplight!

    Apart from these minor things, I have not had depth perception my whole life, so I think I learned how to navigate from years of never having had it, if that makes sense.

    Dr. B: Do you find it difficult to stay motivated for vision therapy?

    Heather: No, I truly enjoy every moment of it. Sometimes I get frustrated because I want to see results more quickly, but I have come to realize that patience is key.

    Dr. B: What is the hardest thing about vision therapy for you?

    Heather: A few months after I began to see in stereo, it dawned on me that I had gone my entire life seeing the world differently. This brought some low moments thinking about all the years I didn’t have this type of vision. I had no idea I saw the world as one big flat movie screen!

    I began to realize that much of the trouble I had as a child in school was not because I wasn’t paying attention, (well maybe some of that!) but because I could not track things as well as the other children. My eyes were not able to keep a lot of things on a page in order, so I would become overwhelmed. It was hard to keep my visual world organized, so I preferred to talk rather than focus! I have come to get more clarity on my childhood schooling. I wasn’t stupid. I just couldn’t see like other children! Unfortunately, no one recognized this, and I was put in LD classes that did not address my visual problems.

    Dr. B: I’m glad you shared that, because that is one of the most common things I hear from parents.  Things like, “He is just lazy, ” or “He just doesn’t try very hard.” It is sad to hear, but the silver lining is that if their child were succeeding while dealing with his visual problems, he can achieve anything after therapy!

    Heather: Oh, yea, I have heard those things, too.  Not from my parents, but from teachers that just did not understand how someone’s vision could be making him or her bounce off the walls (sugar probably also helped!!) or become overly frustrated when trying to learn something new.

    Dr. B: You blog a lot of what happens with your vision at home. Like most of my patients, I’m sure that your job is visually demanding. Have you noticed any if anything is better, worse, or just different at work since starting vision therapy?

    Heather: In the beginning, I was very tired. Early on I had to take naps! I run a business as a recruiter (www.traberfitz.com) and part of my job requires that I work on a computer for hours at a time. Early on in VT, it became exhausting to look at the computer for longer than 3-4 hours a day, but that has improved and I have learned to take eye breaks.

    Also, my eye that is normally looking down has been activated through the therapy, so now when I walk or ride my bike, I see straight ahead with one eye and the ground rushing past me with the other eye, which is a bit disconcerting. Usually, I can turn it on and off. Also, I have started to see double in some exercises in VT. I can’t seem to fuse small objects yet.

    Dr. B: Have you blogged about other things before?

    Heather: No. The experience of seeing a whole new way at the age of 42 moved me to write about it. I thought there must be others and I could create a network of people who may get help from my story. A few people have contacted me, and their support has been so amazing and they have been inspired to seek out VT for themselves. One person contacted me that she was told that her infant daughter would never see in stereo due to an in vitro stroke. She was devastated and worried that her daughter would be missing out on a lot in life. I told her that my life has been just fine and that never knowing what depth perception was, I never missed anything!
    Dr. B: Any thing else you’d like to share?

    Heather:  I would just like to say that this is amazing work and has changed my life in a meaningful way. I know this may sound strange, but it has changed more than my vision. Sometimes I think that my brain has wanted to see this way for a long time and giving it that chance was almost like an awakening of sorts.  It lets light into a dark part of my brain. My visual life is not dead anymore.  When I wear my prism glasses, it opens up to this whole new place that seems more alive. Space is this incredible thing and so entirely magical that it is hard to describe to someone who has always seen it. Overall, I have become a more contemplative person. I took up oil painting and enjoy looking at things more…especially nature.

    Dr. B: Thanks so much for sharing your time and story, Heather. I wish you all the best and much progress in vision therapy!

    Dr. Bonilla-Warford
    Bright Eyes Family Vision Care
    Westchase, Tampa, FL
    Connect with Us:  YelpFacebookTwitter